Four Things Every Smart Shopper Knows

Financial growth doesn’t just come from smart saving; it also comes from a healthy dose of smart shopping. Consider adding these four shopping hacks to your financially friendly routine this week :

Stick to the List: You took the time to create a monthly budget for yourself. You know what your expenses look like, and how much of your income you plan on saving toward your goals. With an awareness of what you have budgeted for say, groceries, create a shopping list of food items you need, before you hit the store. If you generate this list and don’t give into temptation to stray from it, you are ensuring all of your financial needs for the month will be met, without any unpleasant surprises!

Keep Yourself to Cash: Carry only as much cash as you believe you will need to buy the necessities you identified. A cash limit is a great way to be visibly reminded where you stand in your spending and prevents you from making splurge purchases your pocketbook will regret.

Minimize Credit Card Use: Whenever possible, leave your credit card at home, to avoid accidentally sabotaging your budget with a “therapeutic” shopping session, or generous round of drinks at the bar. When it’s necessary to buy an item online, make sure you can afford to pay off your purchase at the end of the month, and avoid the temptation to click on other items you don’t need!

Where You Shop Matters: A store that advertises “convenience” may actually be selling their items for a higher price than you need to pay. And with sales and tempting purchases around every corner, a mall can be dangerous to determined savers. Shop with purpose, and consider price comparing before picking your store

To learn about more ways to improve your financial life, visit the Syncis blog at www.syncis.com/blog/.